Title :
The outrigger: a prehistoric feedback mechanism
Author :
Abramovitch, Daniel
Author_Institution :
Commun. & Opt. Res. Labs., Agilent Labs., Palo Alto, CA, USA
Abstract :
The paper gives a cursory explanation of the dynamics of boat stability and discusses the use of an outrigger in providing roll stability for a dugout canoe. A qualitative description of the operation of an outrigger is given, specifically how it satisfies the Mayr (1970) criteria of a feedback mechanism. Finally, the paper delves into the origins of the outrigger and traces its progression around the world.
Keywords :
boats; feedback; Polynesian history; Stone Age control engineering; boat stability; dugout canoe; dynamics; outrigger canoe; prehistoric feedback mechanism; roll stability; Boats; Gears; History; Humans; Laboratories; Modems; Optical feedback; Shape; Stability; Valves;
Conference_Titel :
Decision and Control, 2003. Proceedings. 42nd IEEE Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7924-1
DOI :
10.1109/CDC.2003.1272909
